The Moon's Nightmare
by silkycatastrophe
Summary: One year after the disappearance of her best friend Austin Moon, Ally still suffers from the anxiety and mistrust of everyone around her. She is thrown face first into a pit of accusation and clues to Austin's disappearance.
1. Chapter 1

**The Moon's Nightmare**

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One year after the disappearance of her best friend Austin Moon, Ally still suffers from the anxiety and mistrust of everyone around her. She is thrown face first into a pit of accusation and clues to Austin's disappearance.

A/N: I'm not entirely sure why I just updated, only that it was totally necessary because I had to get my idea out there. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I didn't even realize how many story ideas I had until I wrote them down.

Review to let me know if I should continue.

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**Chapter 1: Prime or Crime**

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_"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."  
- Dalai Lama_

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It was not all that different from a normal day, except for that fact that it was completely different from a normal day. Everyone else would wake up from their warm safe haven of a bed, brush their pearly whites, pack their hell hole of a backpack and trudge their way to school like every other day of the year. The difference was everyone else was not Ally.

Everyone else should have thought of the day as a blessing.

Not a curse.

"Ally come on, we are going to be late for class", Trish said as she turned to Ally with the flick of her dark brown curly hair. The hallway was nearly empty and she could sense that the bell would ring any second. There were the last few stragglers left behind in the hallway including Trish and Ally, as people furrowed through their lockers and backpacks looking for misplaced text books and number two pencils. Ally looked back into her locker quickly, at the picture that was staring at her with accusing eyes.

There was no way it would let her go through the day without prying its way into her head.

She sighed at the faces in the photo that looked so happy and carefree, and begged it for forgiveness or something that might provide her with enough comfort to head out into the world.

She shut the locker and forced a smile at her best friend.

"I'm coming", she said in a voice that said, _today is a normal day and I will act like nothing is wrong. _

Trish nodded and scurried around the corner.

It had become more and more typical for Trish to act this way. The last year had done a number on her as well. And although Trish acted like there was nothing wrong with the way they were living their lives, Ally knew better. She could see right through the wall Trish had put up and there was nothing that that she could do about the wall.

It was obvious that Trish's boyfriend Jace was trying to help Trish forget about what happened. Jace was a really nice guy and he really cared about Trish, but Trish wasn't ready emotionally to forget what happened. But Ally didn't have anyone like that. She was stuck in a rut.

Just as the bell rang, Ally walked into the classroom behind Trish and took her seat near the back of the class. Last year, she would have been seen sitting in the front row but this year was different. She didn't want attention on her and if that meant escaping to the back of the class, then so be it.

She pulled out her notebooks and pencil case and sat quietly like every other day.

"Today in class, I want you to write down your biggest fears. Heights? Spiders? The dark? Anything that comes to mind. You think it? You write it. Then we will pair up and discuss. Okay?" the English teacher Ms. Valeria told the class before sitting down at her desk chair and flipping through the pages of the English text book.

It shouldn't have been a difficult task, but it was.

Ally sat there for five minutes staring at the blank piece of lined paper in front of her as if it held the secrets to the Seven Wonders of the World.

"Time to pair up!" Ms. Valeria exclaimed.

Ally didn't move, she didn't want to discuss. Anything that involved communicating with other people was not in her agenda, and she didn't approve.

The tanned boy next to her in a blue plaid shirt and with light brown hair turned to her with a smile.

"Hey Ally, need a partner?" She forced a smile and looked at him. He was a little too close for comfort.

"Sure Gavin." She liked Gavin.

"What did you write?" he asked resting his head on his hand. Ally pulled the paper in front of her closer to her and tried to cover the empty lines but he saw. "You didn't write anything?"

"I couldn't think of anything", she said quietly.

"Everyone has fears", he commented. "Why don't I go first", he offered. He pushed his sheet of paper closer to her so that she could see.

_Drowning. _"I can't swim. When I was 7 I fell into the lake. That was the scariest shit ever."

_Intimacy. _

_Dying Alone._ "I don't think I'm afraid of dying, only dying alone."

Ally watched Gavin closely after he revealed his fears. He didn't seem nervous, in fact he seemed very comfortable sharing his fears.

"Those seem like very real fears", she told him.

"I've thought about my fears before. But my uncle says that facing your fears doesn't get rid of them."

"What does?"

"But you can't ignore them either."

"How do you get rid of them?"

"You can't. But you can learn to live with them. You're stuck with them. It helps to share them."

Ally nodded, but didn't move to write anything down.

"Are you going to write any down?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"If I write them down that makes them real, and I don't know if I can handle that."

Gavin nodded.

"I won't judge. But if you're not ready, then you don't have to do anything."

For a final time, she looked at her sheet and took in a deep breath. It shouldn't have been so hard, they were just words. Then why did it feel like she was preparing to ship off her fears to someone who could use them against her? And she didn't mean Gavin. She meant the forces of the world. Once she wrote them down, that would make them real, and though she wasn't quite sure, she thought she preferred her imaginary world where she could avoid things like this.

She wrote anyways.

_Making mistakes_

_Failing_

_Forgetting the past_

_Remembering the past_

_The future_

Releasing a breath, she felt a burden fall off her shoulder. She smiled weakly at Gavin.

"Did that help?"

"I think so", she replied, though not completely sure.

"It's okay to be afraid you know."

"I don't think so. If I show my fears, that makes me vulnerable. That means I can get hurt."

"Everyone gets hurt. You can't avoid that."

_(flashback)_

"Ahh! Stop!" Ally giggled as she swarmed around the sofa and collapsed onto the soft cushions. Austin jumped over top of the back and sank into the spot next to her. He put an arm over her shoulder and leaned his head forward with a grin.

"I don't think you really want that", he said boldly as his blond hair bounced against his forehead. His other hand briefly moved towards her cheek and pressed lightly as it emitted warm vibes into her skin. With his forehead pressing against his, she leaned forward as well and kissed his lips.

"Gross! Guys, we agreed you wouldn't do that in front of us anymore and besides this is a celebration, not a make out session", said Dez from across the room.

"You say potato", Austin replied wittily before kissing Ally quickly once again. Ally pulled away and smiled at her group of friends.

The night was somewhat of a celebration. It was an end of the summer pity party. It was something to remember all of the great times they had the past few months before heading back to school. It wasn't a huge party, just their closest friends.

"Ally come on, you said you would show me how to do a fish tail braid", Kira whined as she pulled on her hand. Ally smiled at Austin hoping he wouldn't mind.

"Go on. I know that hair is more important than your boyfriend", Austin smiled.

She giggled. "Boyfriend?"

"Yah boyfriend. I want you off the market", he replied.

"Boyfriend, huh? I like the sound of that." She kissed his lips one last time. "See you later boyfriend", she called as she followed Kira to the deck outside where the rest of the girls were.

Ally sat down next to Kira and Trish around their table reserved for themselves outside. The moon was bright above their heads and there were torches around them which allowed for enough light.

She turned to Kira and began braiding her hair.

"Did I just hear the conversation I think I heard", Trish said as she hounded down a strawberry flavoured cooler.

"If I heard right I think it was something about Austin mentioning the B-word, and not the one that rhymes with witch", Cassidy replied. Her blonde hair was pulled into a loose bun.

Ally laughed.

"He wants to be my boyfriend", she said happily.

"Finally", Trish sighed. "I didn't think he would ever make up his mind."

"It wasn't completely up to him. We wanted to wait to see if we were ready for it. It's a big step", she replied. Austin and Ally had been friends for a few years now and they had only started to think of each other romantically for about six months.

"Are you ready now?" Cassidy asked.

Ally smiled and nodded confidently. "Yah. We're ready."

Then there was a crash from inside the cabin. They four girls turned towards the living room where the rest of the party was going on. "It's fine, I just dropped my drink", shouted Dez. Trish laughed, and whispered something that sounded like the word Bozo.

The front door was open and the girls could see that there were two people talking. Even though they were on the other side of the house there the glass door allowed them to see.

"Is that Brooke?" Kira asked looking up from her phone.

"What is Brooke doing talking to Austin? It looks pretty heated. Like they are arguing," Trish commented.

Cassidy scoffed. "I hate jealous ex-girlfriends."

"At least she isn't talking to your boyfriend", Ally replied. "Should I go do something?"

"If you want to", said Trish.

"I want to." Ally walked back into the house, but by the time she got there Brooke was already mingling with some of the other partiers. Ally paused briefly in the middle of the room surrounded by buzzing conversations.

Where was Austin? The front door was still open, so she walked out the door.

"Austin?" she called. She looked around the deserted wood lot. She tried to listen, but couldn't hear anything over the sound of muffled loud music from inside the cabin. "Austin?!" she repeated, this time much louder.

She wandered for a few minutes searching for him, but couldn't hear anything. She ran back into the cabin to interrogate Brooke.

"Hey", she said politely. "Have you seen Austin?" Brooke looked surprised that Ally was talking to her.

"Uh, no. I haven't seen him for about ten minutes. He walked outside after I talked to him."

"Did he say where he was going?"

"No, I don't think so", she replied.

"Well, if you see him, can you let me know?"

"Sure."

One by one, Ally asked every person in the party if they had seen Austin. But as time progressed and answers become more and more frequent, she began to worry. A few of Austin's friends had even gone to look for him outside. But no one could find him.

He had disappeared.

_(flash forward)_

"I'd do anything to avoid getting hurt", Ally told Gavin, who was looking at her with concerned eyes.

"What if"-

"Ally Dawson, please report to the principal's office", called a voice over the sound system in the class room.

She didn't even have time to think twice of it, she just wanted out of the class room, an out of the lesson.

"Good talk, Gavin. I'll see you later", she said packing up her belongings.

"Sure", he replied sinking into his chair and watching Ally leave the classroom in a hurry.

She scurried down the hall, grateful for an escape, but there was nothing that would have prepared her for what was coming next.

"Ally Dawson?"

Ally looked up from her chair in the waiting area and saw the young principal. He wore glasses and his dress shirt was tucked into his pants. He looked like a model who had just walked out of a magazine. She followed him into his office and sat down in the chair in front of his desk. He sat down on top of his desk and smiled sadly at her.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked.

"No, you haven't done anything wrong", he replied.

"Then why am I here?"

"There's been an update on Austin Moon's search."

_Should I continue? Please Review_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Policies or Authorities**

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_"A friend is someone who knows the song in your hear and can sing it back when you have forgotten the words."  
– Anonymous_

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**Author's note: WOAH! The reviews have been excellent! Fifteen reviews! That's insane. Thanks for the support. I really appreciate it. I have a lot of ideas for this story and it's going to be very mysterious and exciting. Need an example? Think Pretty Little Liars mysterious. Austin = Allison, but nicer and a boy. ;) **

**Heads up! The more reviews, the faster I will update. Let's aim for 13 reviews. O.K.?**

Previously…

"I'd do anything to avoid getting hurt", Ally told Gavin, who was looking at her with concerned eyes.

"What if"- Gavin started.

"Ally Dawson, please report to the principal's office", called a voice over the sound system in the class room. She didn't even have time to think twice of it, she just wanted out of the class room, and out of the lesson.

"Good talk, Gavin. I'll see you later", she said packing up her belongings.

"Sure", he replied sinking into his chair and watching Ally leave the classroom in a hurry. He had heard stories of all of the things that had happened to this girl, and everything she would have gone through. She scurried down the hall, grateful for an escape, but there was nothing that would have prepared her for what was coming next.

"Ally Dawson?"

Ally looked up from her chair in the waiting area and saw the young principal. He wore glasses and his dress shirt was tucked into his pants. He looked like a model that had just walked out of a magazine. She followed him into his office and sat down in the chair in front of his desk. He sat down on top of his desk and smiled sadly at her.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked.

"No, you haven't done anything wrong", he replied.

"Then why am I here?"

"There's been an update on Austin Moon's search."

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to react. Was she supposed to ask questions? Or wait for him to continue? But she promised herself one thing: she would under no circumstances get her hopes up.  
It seemed the principal got the message fairly quickly, and he shrugged uncomfortably. Ally had changed a lot in the last year. She was no longer the small timid girl everyone had once known. She was no longer the innocent and naïve little girl everyone saw walking down the hallway with her school books held closely to her chest. To everyone else, she was the abandoned girlfriend of Austin Moon. Her title didn't come with a warranty, it would never expire. People didn't willingly come to talk to her. She had even heard rumours that claimed Ally killed Austin. They were sickening.

"The police have had contact with us and they asked us to give you the update", he said slowly as he watched her reaction. The room suddenly felt very small and the space between then couldn't be big enough.

"Why would they ask you that?" She asked timidly. She crossed her hands and looked at them as if they were a puzzle within themselves.

He sighed and shifted further back in the desk where he was able to lean forward a bit. "Ally, I know this last year hasn't been easy on you and that you were very close to Mr. Moon. I was very fond of the boy myself. He was a good student and he was an excellent addition to the school. But your name has been put into the investigation and you're supposed to be updated as things become known."

"No one has mentioned anything to me in 5 months. What changed?" She said quietly.

"The investigators found his coat and shoes."

She sat up quickly. "Where?

"Orlando."

_(flashback)_

Ally stood at the front of the classroom, confident in a way she wasn't typically. She faced the whiteboard and continued to write her answer for the algebra question. The other students were copying down her answer; they knew she was right, she was always right. She turned around to face the students with a small satisfied smile and looked towards the teacher who just nodded and beckoned her to return to her seat.

It was the first day of freshman year, and although she didn't know much, she did know math and the review was something that was much easier to understand than people. Plus, it didn't come with all the baggage.

The boy sitting next to her huffed in frustration, and started moving his hand quickly to erase the answer on the page. He quickly glanced up at Ally and smiled briefly. Ally looked away quickly to try and give him the impression that she wasn't staring. But the boy was really struggling.

Feeling bad for him, she shuffled her chair closer to him and pointed to his page.

"You need to add here instead of multiply. It might make more sense that way", she whispered so she wouldn't interrupt the rest of the class.

They boy didn't say anything right away, but he followed her instructions and was able to successfully complete the question.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome", she replied with a cute grin and looked back at her own work.

"Ally, right?"

"Yah", she nodded.

"I'm Austin. We have homeroom together as well I think", he told her. He thought back to earlier that morning and remembered the boy sitting a few row behind her with blonde hair. She smiled at him and nodded. "I don't know how you know any of this math. It's really hard", he continued.

"I went to a two week math camp last year", she replied, and then blushed. "I don't know why I just told you that. That was really uncool." It was a bit embarrassing for her to admit it, whenever she did people always made fun of her for it. He laughed, but not at the fact that she was a loser, but because she was awkward and cute. "See, you laughed", she pointed out. "I am a loser." She rolled her eyes at herself. She wasn't trying to offend herself, just make a joke out of it so she wouldn't feel so bad.

"I'm not laughing because you're a loser. I'm laughing because you're funny. I'm sure you do cool stuff."

"Oh yah? Like cloud watching?"

"Is that a thing? People do that?" he asked. The bell rang and they packed up their bags continuing the discussion.

"Yes people do that, for your information, it is very relaxing", she defended.

"I bet." They started walking out of the class room together. Austin held his binder and text book in one hand at the side of his body, while Ally held hers with both hands in front of her.

"But seriously. I am a cool person." They walked down the hallway side by side towards her locker. She didn't know if his locker was also that way, or if he was just walking with her because they were talking.

"Who are you trying to convince?" he asked with a chuckle. "What kind of cool things do you do?"

She thought for a moment and he almost thought that she wasn't going to reply.

"I really like to travel. I've been to 37 different states including Alaska", she said trying to impress him." It was true, Ally's dad had been to every state, and he wanted to show his daughter the rest of the country like he had seen.

"See, you are cool." His eyes smiled. He looked impressed. She felt satisfied and released a smile.

"I've never been anywhere before. My family doesn't travel."

"No? Why not?" she asked curiously.

"They own a mattress store and it's always been really busy. They just haven't had time."

"Not even like another city in Florida? Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Orlando?"

"Weird right?" he said with a small squint of his eyes. There was a mix of disappointment in himself and embarrassment.

"Nah. There are a lot of people who don't know anything but where they live. But it's too bad; there are so many amazing places in the world."

_(flash forward)_

"What's Austin doing at Walt Disney world?" Dez asked with his mouth full of food. He took another large bite of his cold pizza. "He doesn't even like Disney."

"He's not a Walt Disney world, Ass hat", Trish insulted him. Dez huffed and sat back further in his seat. After Ally was the first of the group to be presented with the news of Austin's latest where about. Dez was sitting in the waiting room with a scared and nervous look on his face when Ally walked out of the principal's office. His face became ghostly pale as Ally walked out of the office before him but he assured him it was nothing like that. Their other friends were each called down to the office before lunch, resulting in their latest lunch discussion.

"Who doesn't like Disney?" Cassidy asked surprised.

"Apparently Austin", Dez replied.

"Why would Austin be in Orlando?" Jace asked ignoring Dez. The police didn't tell Jace about Austin, but Trish gave him the throw down of the details.

"I don't think he wants to be there", Ally told them looking down at her lunch tray. The entire group turned their stares towards Ally.

"What do you mean? Do you still think he's with someone?" Trish asked.

"Nothing else makes sense. Austin has never been to Orlando before, and he would never do anything like this. There's someone forcing him to do things", Ally theorized.

"But why-

"Hey guys, mind if I sit here?" The group looked up at the girl behind them. Brooke was standing there with a cafeteria tray at hand and a fake smile plastered on her face. The group nodded silently and opened up a space for her at the table. "Great thanks."

They heard a commotion from behind them and a girl was on the floor on her hands and knees. There was a tray on the floor and the special of the day was all over her shirt.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry", the girl said looking at the ground.

"You better be. This was a brand new shirt", Kira spoke up. Ally rushed to Kira's side, feeling like the Good Samaritan. Normally, Ally would have ignored this type of thing from Kira, but seeing the girl on the floor, she reminded Ally of herself. In the past year, the group had broken apart and regrouped as a result of Austin's disappearance. Kira, was left behind. She was now head of the school, ring master if you will. She controlled the school. You didn't mess with Kira. But Kira and Ally were still on a good page and got along.

"Kira", she said. "How are you?"

"I've been better. This hoe just ruined my new shirt", she replied.

"It still looks great. Did you do something different to your hair? It looks so shiny today", she said changing the subject.

"I did, I used different conditioner and it's super shiny and soft now", Kira said with happy eyes.

"Well it looks great", Ally told her. Kira's face broke with a happy smile before her latest arm candy, Elliot walked up next to her and smiled.

"Hey Ally, looking good", he told her.

Ally nodded unaffected and the other two walked to the other side of the cafeteria.

"Sorry about her, she can be very dramatic", Ally told the girl on the floor. The girl was taller than Ally and she had long straight blonde hair. She was very fashionable and pretty. The girl wore a pink skirt with a black blouse. Ally could tell the girl was trying really hard to fit in, just by the way she looked. From experience, Ally knew that on her first day at a new school she would have wanted to impress the student body.

"That's alright. As courtesy of being the new girl, I need to be humiliated at least once today", she replied.

"You're new here?" Ally commented. "What's your name?"

"I'm Piper", she said holding out her hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ally. Come on, you can sit with us."

"How many people do you think saw me fall?" Piper asked.

"Don't worry about that. They will all forget by the end of the day. You will soon learn that this school is not like other schools", Ally spoke as she sat down next to Trish.

"How so?" Piper said sitting down.

"We have a legacy we aren't too proud of here", Brooke told the girl. "I'm Brooke."

"What does that mean?"

"Well-

"Wait? Is this about Austin Moon?" Piper piped up shining her apple on her skirt underneath the table.

"How do you know about Austin?" Ally asked.

"I'm his girlfriend."

**Like I said. 13 reviews?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Truth and Sleuth**

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_A long time ago we used to be friends  
But I haven't thought of you lately at all  
If ever again a greeting I send to you  
Short and sweet to the soul I intend  
- Dandy Warhols_

**Author's Note: Insanely impressed by the reception to the story, I've been incredibly pleased by the response for the past two chapters. Just as a heads up, I mentioned in the last chapter that the story idea was loosely based off the idea of Pretty Little Liars. I wanted to further clarify. In The Moon's Nightmare, Austin has been missing for the past year and his friends have been left in the dust, completely unsure if it was an act of abduction, if he is alive, dead, or if he ran away. But they do know one thing; if he is gone, he had no reason to disappear. At this point in the story, you will know about as much as Ally and her friends. Each chapter will contain a flashback that may just simply be a memory, or a clue to where Austin is and why he might have disappeared. **

**Maybe some of your questions will get answered in this chapter. Remember, everything is not what it seems. There will be deceit, secrets and betrayal. **

**I hope you all continue to enjoy the story and favourite/follow/review. **

Previously…

One sentence had never hit her in the gut quite as hard. Ally felt as if she had been knocked over the head with a large basketball. The table froze, and the sound of a fallen silver spoon clattered against the table. The group lost all eye contact and it seemed that they were all ashamed to here Austin's name spoken by the girl. Even Dez, the loud and accusing one, kept his mouth shut. How was it possible for one girl to make her regret everything so fast? She couldn't decide if she regretted being nice to Piper or if she was glad because maybe it would help her find Austin now.

"Did I say something wrong?" Piper asked, looking frantically between the table.

"As a matter of fact you did. Who are you?" Trish spoke up.

"I'm Piper."

"We know that. But how can you be Austin's girlfriend?"

"We met each other, we went on a date, and we started dating. It's not that hard of a concept to grasp", Piper hissed. "Why is this such a big deal?"

"Because Ally is his girlfriend", Dez spoke on behalf of Ally. The rest of the group nodded along with him. Ally ducked her head trying to hide her face from the rest of the group. Her stomach was starting to ache.

"I'm not his girlfriend. I haven't seen him in a year", Ally told him.

"That's right, but none of us have, because he disappeared. But you were his girlfriend before he left, and there was no official end to the relationship. So technically you are together, but you're not _together_."

"My head hurts", Ally thought out loud.

"Where was your last school?" Dez asked Piper.

"Orlando. It was nice and I had a lot of friends, but my dad had to relocate his work to Miami. We moved here last week", Piper replied.

Silence.

It was loud.

"When was the last time you saw Austin?" Dez asked after a few moments of silence.

"Right before I left Orlando. He's really the best boyfriend ever. He treats me really well. It's a shame you let him go, Ally", Piper replied.

"Do you have a picture of him?" Trish asked.

Piper thought for a moment. "Afraid not. I don't have any with me. Sorry."

Trish sighed. "Can you describe what he looks like, how he acts?"

Piper chuckled a little bit. "You guys ask a lot of questions. Do you always interview each other like this?"

"We just want to make sure you are talking about the same boy as we are", Dez voiced.

"He has blonde hair, he's tall, and he played basketball? Does that help?"

Ally hunched over the table and held her head up with her hands. "I'm going to get some Tylenol", she said standing up and grabbing her tray. Ally's closest friends could see the aggravated look that was on her face and splashed across her heart. They all knew Austin was the closest to Ally; they shared everything including secrets no one else knew, which was why the behaviour Piper was describing didn't add up.

"This makes no sense", Brooke said as Ally was leaving the table. She heard fading chatter as she left the room.

Ally thought back to her last memory of Austin were they fooled around like childish teenagers. He had called her his girlfriend, and managed to make her feel like a princess. They hadn't even been together for half an hour before he went missing. She had been forced to return to school the following week feeling abandoned and alone. She didn't like to admit that might have even suffered from anxiety.

At the beginning, she could remember waking up in the middle of the night crying and sweating, it was like even though he was gone, he followed her everywhere. She would see him in the empty seat at the dinner table, in the mirror as she was getting ready in the morning, and riding on the bike cruising down her street. Of course, it was never him, but it always made her do a double take. She was ashamed to admit that he had such an effect on her. In a way, she felt like she was a clingy girlfriend. They hadn't even dated for more than a month before making it official and now she couldn't look at another boy without seeing Austin in the iris of their eyes.

She could believe that after a year alone, her heart still ached at the sound of his name.

Arriving at her locker, she quickly but the combination into the lock and searched for a Tylenol.

She didn't want to make it seem like she regretted the month she spent with Austin, because she didn't. It had been the best month of her life. While Austin made her feel special and beautiful, they would kiss in the moon light. Summer never did look the same. They had nothing to lose. It was an epic summer love, where they would walk along Miami Beach hand in hand. It was worth it.

The year went by, and reflecting now, her memories were becoming less and less clear.

_(flashback)_

Ally waited no longer than he promised, before Austin pulled up into her laneway in his black LeBaron. She watched briefly from her window as she put on her strappy silver sandals. Before she could get to the door, he dad swooped in and opened the door just as Austin's hand was about to collide with the door for a knock.

"Dad? What are you doing?" Ally hissed.

"I'm just meeting the boy who will be taking my daughter out this evening", he replied innocently.

"Dad, you know Austin", she deadpanned. Lester looked between the two teenagers and a look of understanding flashed over his face. He didn't seem as worried anymore.

"Good evening Mr. Dawson", Austin spoke for the first time. Lester nodded and avoided eye contact.

"Just have fun", he huffed and walked in the opposite direction.

"Bye dad", she called and smiled at Austin. He held out his arm for her to hold on to. "What a gentleman", he commented. They started toward his car.

"I just- I just want to do this right", he told her. "I don't want to make any mistakes."

"You can make mistakes with me. It's fine. As long as you don't cheat, even if you aren't my boyfriend, I won't tolerate something like that", she joked.

"I would never think of it. You're too perfect to be replaced."

Ally smiled affectionately and leaned forward to kiss his lips. With his height, he bent down to her level and his hand briefly touched her cheek as their lips met, leaving her skin burning.

"About that boyfriend thing…", Austin started. At that point in their relationship, he was rearing to get started.

"I'm sorry Austin, I'm just not ready yet."

"Don't apologize. I don't know why I asked either. I'm not ready either." She smiled at him and grabbed his hand.

"Let's go."

xX

Sitting across from each other in the restaurant with a pizza between them, time seemed to fly. It wasn't there first date and wouldn't be their last. It was their thing. Something like a dating game, friends with benefits. Neither of them quite emotionally ready for an official relationship, they were happy where they were.

"I'm not too great of a fisher mind you, but last summer I was with my uncle and I caught this giant trout." He expressed the size with his hands. Ally laughed amused and leaned her arms forward.

"I think you're exaggerating."

"Are you doubting my fishing skills?"

"Yes", she replied laughing. "And I'm sure I could smoke your ass at a fishing competition", she told him.

"It's not a competition. It's a game of patience. And I hate to admit this Ally, but you don't have much patience", he teased. He was pushing her buttons.

"Ohhh", she said laughing. "You are so on!" she challenged.

"Whoever catches the most fish, wins. Loser buys ice cream."

"Deal."

xX

In the middle of the pond was a small canoe. It belonged to Austin's uncle and the two teenagers were struggling to balance the boat. There were fishing rods on the floor of the small boat and bait which Ally convinced Austin to keep to his side of the boat.

"I don't know how we are supposed to catch any fish, if we can't even sit down without one of us falling over", Ally complained.

"E- easy", Austin stuttered. He struggled as he held his fishing rod in one hand while using the other hand to balance. Austin being the avid fisher he was, was going to try to impress Ally with his not so prominent fishing skills. He couldn't let her know that he lied about knowing how to fish and he was far too egotistical to back out now. That would be embarrassing.

"Oh yah? And how do you suggest that we catch a fish like this?" Ally said firmly.

"Well I learned that if you – wooaaah!"

And the boat tipped over.

The last thing Austin heard before falling over the edge was sound of Ally screaming. With a loud splash the two plummeted under the water.

Ally gasped for air as she grabbed onto the side on the canoe. She felt heavy in her soaked clothes.

"Austin!" she grumbled loudly. She didn't hear an answer and she stated to panic.

"Boo!" he yelled as he came up through the water behind her, splashing her face with water once again. She let out a loud yelp.

"What the heck Austin?" her face still scared.

"That was fun, wasn't it?"

"I swear, if you did that on purpose, I will kill you", she threatened. He laughed in response and moved his lips towards her as he grabbed onto the side of the canoe as well. She kissed him hard and sloppily, before whacking him over the head. "You're an asshole, you know. That was not funny."

"Yah, but I got a kiss. So it was worth it."

She made a face, and groaned. "You are buying ice cream."

(flash forward)

She swallowed the pill and threw her locker door shut. Soon her buzzing, aching mind would grow numb. Just before locking her lock, she realized that there was something off about her locker. She reopened the locker and glanced at the inside of the door. Ally picked up the note taped to the inside of her locker wondering if someone broke in or placed in there while she wasn't looking. But that would be impossible, because she would have seen it as she last closed her locker door. Something wasn't right. She looked left and right to see if there was anyone in the hallway. The hall way, was like a ghost town.

_A little birdie tells me you know the truth. Well sweetie, you ain't no sleuth. – H8er_

Someone was threatening her.

**Here is another chapter. Hope it answered a few questions, and asked a few more. Now, I want to remind y'all not to go getting comfortable with these answers. People cannot be trusted. **

**Is Piper really who she says she is?**

**Who is threatening Ally? **

**Why is Austin in Orlando?**

**Was Austin lying to Ally about who he was?**

**What happened to Austin?**

Next Chapter: Shockers and Soups


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Shockers and Soups**

* * *

_"The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies. It comes from friends and loved ones."  
- Anonymous_

* * *

**Sorry about the long wait, here is the next chapter.**

"Trish", Ally hissed through her cell phone as she shut the blinds in her room. The pitch black scenery was making her even more nervous. Her heart was pounding and for the second time in her life she feared that she might not make it through the night to see morning. "You need to get over here right now."

"This better be important. I'm reading a magazine right now."

"Trish, I swear to God. You need to get over here right now, I am terrified", Ally replied with her hands still shaking.

"Ally? This sounds serious. Are you alright?"

"No", she whispered.

"Why are you whispering? What's going on?"

"I think someone is watching me", she whispered back.

"Who?"

"I don't know. The boogeyman! Just come over now", she replied harshly.

"Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming. I'm already in the car", she replied. She could hear the sound of the car starting up. "I'm going to hang up now, okay?"

Just them there was the sound of creaking at her window, Ally froze.

"Trish?" she whispered shivering.

"What?"

"I think there is someone at my window."

"Are you serious? Why would there be someone at your window?"

"Maybe it has something to do with the dagger dripping in blood in my room right now?" she offered.

"Holy shit! What have you done?"

"It was in my room when I got here. Now what do I do?

"Are your parent's home?"

"Don't you remember? My dad went to the piano convention in L.A. with my mom this weekend."

"Okay, listen. I want you to go down stairs, and grab the baseball bat you keep with the umbrellas. Use it for defence just in case. I'll be there in five. Stay in your living room. Keep your phone handy, just in case. I'll be right there. I'm going to hang up."

"Okay", she replied running out of her room. Trying to forget about the knife that was sitting on her bed with blood still wet dripping off the tip.

Five and a half minutes later, Ally heard a knock on her front door. The five and a half minutes felt like hours of her tapping her foot on the floor and trying not to focus on what might be outside in the infinite darkness.

She practically jumped out of her skin and looked towards the door like it was evil. Within seconds she was up on her feet and looking through the small window at the top of the door. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Trish at the other side of the door looking around the property.

She pulled Trish inside the room before she could even say hello.

"Woah. It's nice to see you too. Ally can you please tell me what's going on. You're starting to freak me out."

Ally sighed and sat back down on the sofa next to Trish.

"It started this afternoon after I left the lunch table. I went to get some Tylenol for my head. Ally that news about Piper dating Austin, it was just too much. So I found this note in my locker – "

"Any chance this was a love note?"

"Absolutely, not", she replied harshly. "I'm sorry, it's just been a long day. Here is the note, it's just the first one."

"There have been more?"

"I've gotten two notes."

_"A little birdie tells me you know the truth. Well sweetie, you ain't no sleuth. – H8er", Trish read out loud. "What did the second one say?"_

"It's lying on my bed. There was some blood on it, so I didn't pick it up. But it said_, Blood is red, violets are blue, you're next, I'm coming for you."_

Trish gasped and stared at Ally in horror. "Oh my god, Ally you need to call the police."

"I wonder whose blood was covering the dagger", Ally thought out loud.

"You don't think it was Austin's, do you."

"I don't know. I hope not." She didn't want to think about the unthinkable. "What happened after I left the lunch table?

"We asked her a few more questions. She didn't seem too alarmed by all of it, which was weird. Oh and Gavin asked where you were."

"Gavin?"

"Yah, he was wondering if you were okay. You've made an impression on him."

"He's nice, but not for me."

"You can't wait around forever, Ally."

"He's going to come back. I know it. Even if Piper says she dating him. It doesn't make any sense."

"It seems too good to be true", Trish assured Ally.

"What does that mean?"

"It seemed that little miss Miami Barbie had all the answers to the questions we asked her. Nothing too detailed, but just enough detail to suffice what we asked", Trish explained. "Almost like it was rehearsed."

"Rehearsed?"

"Yes. Don't you think it is a little but coincidental that she just happened to move back to Miami from Orlando just after the police discovered his coat and shoes in Orlando? It doesn't add up Ally. Her Austin doesn't sound like the Austin we know. She's lying."

"But the stories match", Ally told her. "Orlando, her description of Austin… He played on the basketball team here, blonde hair, tall, that's the Austin I know."

"No it's not… You know that kind, funny, musical Austin, you know what he is really like, not just what he looks like. Anyone could repeat a list of physical traits. But you know who Austin really is."

"Okay, so say she is lying. Why would she do that?"

"That's what we are going to find out. We are going to go interrogate her."

"But we have no evidence that she is lying", Ally replied.

"We have facts."

"No we don't. We haven't seen or heard from him in a year. A lot can change. Maybe Austin's changed."

"We just need to have faith that he's still the bubbly, childish Austin we all know."

A loud bang plummeted through the entire house and the girls jumped out of their seats, followed by the sound of music. The music was quiet and slow, but it was a horrifying sound to their ears.

"Trish, what do we –"

"Shh, grab the bat", Trish whispered as she started tip toeing up the stairs.

"This isn't safe. We might die", Ally told her.

"Shut up and just grab the bat", Trish ordered. Ally quickly grabbed the bat and chased her up the stairs.

They stood outside Ally's bedroom, where the music was coming from, it grew louder and louder the closer they got to the door. Ally's heart was beating out of her chest. "Trish, maybe we should just call the cops."

"Just wait, let me get a good look", she whispered.

Trish looked through the opening of the door and didn't see anyone, she slowly made her way into the room, cautiously making sure there wasn't anyone hiding. She motioned Ally into the room and Ally held the bat up ready to fight back.

"I thought you said that there was a dagger on your bed covered in blood."

"There was", she replied looking around the room. Her window was shattered, and looking back at the bed, there was only the trace of blood on her comforter left. She gasped. "It was right there, I swear."

"Oh honey, only I do the rhyming around here", a voice called from behind them. Ally's bat was ripped from her grasp as they turned around.

The figure was dressed head to toe in black and they were wearing a black ski mask. But the voice was female.

"I'll call the police", Ally threatened in the mot firm voice she could muster up.

The figure chuckled. "No point in that. You'll be gone by the time they arrive."

The girl held up the bat and swung at Ally.

Ally could feel someone touching her head, gently stroking it. It hurt like hell. She opened her eyes only to find a blond boy sitting in front on her. He looked concentrated, but smiled when her eyes met his.

"Austin?"

"Shh, don't talk; the police are on their way. You'll be okay." Ally tried to sit up, but it only made her head ache and her vision blur. "Don't move either", he said gently touching her arm. He smiled weakly at her and she let out a small cough. "I'm sorry this happened. This is all my fault."

"Why is this your fault?"

"He promised that she wouldn't hurt you, if I promised to stay with them." She coughed again as her eyes began to sag. Blood dripped over the corner of her eye. Austin responded by caressing her skin with his finger and wiping away the blood near her eye. His expression looked so sad and pained. His blonde hair was dirty and there were a few twigs in his hair. There were bags under his eyes that had probably formed due to the lack of sleep he had been getting. But the outfit he was wearing was something that she didn't recognize. Hopefully new she thought. Her head continued to pound.

"Them?"

"The people who took me. I escaped last week. I never meant to hurt you Ally. You have to understand, I would never do anything to hurt you." Her eyes began to sag more. "Ally, you need to stay awake, okay? Please stay awake." He shuffled closer to her and wrapped an arm around her body so she could rest her head on his body. His touch still felt the same as it did before.

"You never meant to hurt me?"

"Of course not", he replied as he gently picked up her right hand. His hands were filthy, but she didn't mind. His hands held hers with the same familiarity as they did one year before. She didn't ever want to know what it felt like without them again.

"It still hurt", she whispered hoarsely.

"I know." There was intense sadness in his eyes. "But Ally, I do care about you, I really do."

"I care about you too. I've missed you so much, you have no idea."

"I've missed you too. Ally, I have to tell you something", he spoke quietly. It was as if he was telling her a secret, maybe he was.

"What?"

"I have to say this in case I don't ever have the chance again", he told her. She nodded and waited for him to continue. "I love you. I've had a lot of time to think this past year, and I am certain of it. I love you."

Ally smiled weakly as her head pounded with each passing movement and her heart soared. "I love you too."

"Be brave Ally. Promise me you won't give up hope." He said kissing her forehead.

"I promise."

"Good."

She fell back to sleep.

Her eyes fluttered open to the sound of beeping and the quiet sound of voices. She recognized the sound of her father's voice and Trish's. Her father shouldn't have been there. He was supposed to be in Los Angeles with her mother.

Her eyes met Trish's whose eyes widened with their contact to hers.

"Ally! You're awake", she screeched as she ran across the room towards her. "She's awake, she's awake!"

The room erupted into a spur of noise and panic as doctors and nurses rushed into the room. As a result, Ally began to panic, there was so much happening around her and between her aching head and the people rushing around her, the only thought she could fathom was Austin and the fact that she couldn't see him or hear him.

She heard the sound of her heart monitor increase to a quickly paced buzzing sound.

"Visitors need to get out of the room. She's going into shock!" a Doctor shouted. It wasn't because she couldn't see Austin. The alarming and overwhelming sensation of the hospital and why she was there was too much of a thought to grasp.

"Honey, focus on the light in front of your eyes. Okay? Do you see the light?" a nurse requested of her. There was a small flashlight placed in front of her and she nodded carefully. She tried to focus on her breathing and the small light in front of her.

Slowly her breathing slowed and her heart rate became a normal pace. The doctors continued to examine her.

"How does your head feel?" one of the male nurses asked as he touched her forehead. He wore a blue fitted buttoned shirt. He was a handsome nurse, and looked very educated in his profession.

"On a scale of one to ten? Twenty One", she replied.

He smiled sympathetically. "We'll give you some more pain medication."

"Thank you." He nodded and went back to work. After about three minutes she spoke up again. "Do you know where Austin is?" she asked. A few of the nurses exchanged glances and whispered to each other.

"We will let your family explain everything."

Ally nodded.

"You will be getting hungry soon. You won't be able to eat any solids until your stomach can handle it. Your body is working very hard to heal itself right now, and the medication will make you nauseous. The best thing for you right now is hot soup. I hope you like chicken noodle soup."

After five more minutes, they finally let her family and Trish back into the room. The doctors sat with them and waited for her to ask questions.

"Ally, we are so happy you are alright. It was so scary, and I thought you had died", Trish told her.

"What exactly happened?"

"You were attacked. Trish said that there was someone in your room and you girls had gone to check out what was happening. You brought the baseball bat for defence. But the person had taken the bat from you and used it against you. You were hit in the head. You have a fractured skull."

"A fractured skull? That's bad right?" she said looking to the doctors.

The older doctor nodded and put a pencil behind his ear. "With how extensive the hit was, your brain hit against your skull and began to swell. You've been asleep for 3 days which we predicted, while your body tried to heal itself, and the swelling went down. You're going to be absolutely fine and we are certain that you will make a full recovery. But for now, you are going to need to take things easy. Alright?"

Ally nodded. "I was out for three days? Have you talked to Austin yet? Is he here? Can I talk to him?" Ally asked frantically. The doctor looked up at her family and everyone seemed to be exchanging glances.

"I'll leave you alone", he told them.

"Thank you Doctor Bill", Ally's mother thanked. Ally took another spoon full of soup off of her tray in front of her. It was actually very good soap. It reminded her of the soup that her old babysitter Ms. Suzy would make for her while she was younger.

"Where is Austin?" Ally asked again. "You've seen him right?"

"Ally honey, something awful has happened", he dad spoke up.

"What happened?"

"The police found a body, and they believe it to be his."

"They believe or they know?"

"They have DNA matches."

"He's dead?" she choked.

**Before you kill me or anything, I just wanted you to know, that there will be an explanation coming up in the near future. Hang in there.**

**- Theories about Brooke, Piper, mysterious woman in black, them?**

**- Austin's death? Is ****he ****really dead? Yes or No**

**- What happened after Ally was hit that lead to Austin's death?**

**- Who is threatening Ally?**


End file.
